Redemption
by Luv2Game
Summary: Running through the halls of his home, clouds of smoke and shouts floating through the air, Zuko encounters the one person he has longed to see for months. She, on the other hand, is not nearly as thrilled to see him. ::Maiko::


**A/n: **My first Maiko piece. And talk about random. Ever have one of those days where your brain _refuses_ to stop functioning while you're trying to sleep? Yeah, this is the result of one of those.

Um..I have to say that I have not seen any episodes past 310 and 311. The Day of Black Sun is as far as I've progressed in season three. And I doubt what is written below has any truth to it; it's purely fiction. I've wanted to write a Maiko for a while now and this was what I came up with. So, yeah- this is purely speculation and simple fun on my part. Yep.

**Disclaimer: **_Avatar: The Last Airbender_ is certainly not my property. All rights belong to Nickelodeon Studios, Mike DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, and whom ever else is involved. Details aren't my specialty.

And I guess that's all I have to say. Continue reading for some Maiko love. Oh, and that takes place during the 'true' invasion.

_**Redemption**_

_**xxxx**_

Shouts could be heard throughout the area, air thick with the smell of smoke, dirt, and sweat. The metallic clang of metal against metal, fist against fist, would sometimes break through the yells and orders being bellowed. The signs of war were present no matter where you looked. Buildings reduced to rubble, pathways uprooted and broken, boulders lying forgotten and piles of smoldering remains were all a common sight. The beauty that was once the Fire Nation- all of the grand architecture, majestic buildings, green, rolling hills- it was all being reduced to pebbles, charred and marred by the scars of war.

And all that Zuko could do was keep moving.

He had been repeating that one thing in his mind ever since he had left his land a few short months ago. Ever since he had joined up with the Avatar and his rag-tag gang. Ever since he had left behind his father, sister, uncle- his home. He had just kept telling himself to keep moving.

Which was exactly what he was going to do.

He had been moving since he left, and he wasn't going to stop. He had come this far. He had become a part of the Avatar's group- yes, it had taken a bit of time and he'd had to prove himself- but he had been accepted and was now a part of something good. He had a mission to complete, and he would not stop until it was finished. It hurt seeing his home in this shape, battered and bruised, but it couldn't be helped- his father had brought all of this destruction upon himself.

Legs pumping, Zuko continued his sprint through the familiar walls of the palace. He had to secure the area, had to ensure the safety of Aang and all the others. In doing so, he was helping his homeland. Keeping the Avatar safe- helping him end this war- would do more good than his father had ever done in all of his years as Fire Lord.

Pushing through the bouts of smoke, ignoring the shouts and cries, the smell of smell of blood and destruction, Zuko ran on. The halls were all but empty. Not surprising, really. Every able-bodied soldier was on the front lines, trying to halt the force that threatened their walls. It was a fruitless task. The Avatar's group would not- _could not_- lose. Though the Fire Nation outnumbered them, they could not break their spirit and drive. If all was going according to plan, Aang was already inside the palace walls.

It was Zuko's task to help keep him there, help the bald monk reach the throne room and end all of this. He wasn't alone in his mission. The others were no doubt right behind him, clearing out Fire Nation soldiers and securing the way, but Zuko felt a certain pride in his work. He was sure the rest of the group, too, felt the same, but his sentiments were different- his was a redeeming pride.

He had done so many wrongs in his young life, made so many wrong decisions and faltered so many times. Now he was finally righting them all. This was his chance to shine- to finally prove his worth. This was his one opportunity to fix all the mistakes; to help his homeland; to repay the Avatar for his kindness; to help heal the wounds of war. This was his moment.

And he would not fail.

Rounding a corner, the prince slowed his gait, jumping a pile of smoldering debris as he entered one of the many court yards. Amber eyes scanned the area, taking care to carefully examine each and every pillar. The court yard appeared to be empty, though signs of the battle waging outside the walls were present. Stray boulders had crashed into the middle of the outdoor area, uprooting cement, destroying decorative vases and crushing stone benches. Though that was all the court yard housed. No soldiers were present. No threats.

Taking one last look around the destroyed area, Zuko shook his head. There was no time to dwell on the negative. He had to move. Pushing past the rubble, he started forward, sights once again set ahead of him. He was nearly out of the court yard when a sudden force collied against him, pushing back into the dismantled area and against one of the many pillars. Before the prince could think to force the unseen assailant away from him, he felt a cool metal against his neck.

"Move, and I'll kill you."

His heart sprang to life. Not because he had been caught unawares; the knife at his neck had nothing to do with it. The speaker of those dark words...

Finding his voice, he croaked out, "Mai?"

The cold steel pressing against his flesh drew closer, as did the body of his attacker. Anger, just as cool as the steel, radiated from his assailant's body. Zuko didn't seem to mind. Ignoring the bite at his neck, he looked down, eyes widening as they confirmed what he already knew.

It _was_ Mai. Her light amber eyes were mere slits, her posture rigid and distant. Traditional Fire Nation robes hung from her lithe frame, long raven hair rolling down her back, bangs coming to hang just above her hardened eyes. She looked nearly identical to the image playing constantly in his mind, but the warm, welcoming presence he usually received from her was non-existent.

Which was probably his own doing. He had left her behind when going off in search of the Avatar, but it had been for her own good. He had left her a note in his wake, and though he had expected anger and a reluctance, he had never imagined such open hostility.

"Mai, what-"

Her other hand left her side, balling a fist of the prince's clothing. "_I'll_ be asking the questions." Pressing him into the pillar, she moved closer, blade as steady as her voice. "Why are you here, Zuko?"

She was so calm. More so than usual. She was angry with him, that much was very clear, but her voice was so even. Zuko was certain that if he was allowed to speak a full sentence his voice would be a wobbly and cracked as the shattered courtyard. He hadn't seen her for months, and though it had been his choice to leave, he had wondered and prayed for her safety each and every night. He'd had every intention of coming back for her- he wasn't just helping the Avatar to redeem himself and help heal the wounds his family had caused; he was doing it for _her_. He had said as much in the letter he had left behind on her bed.

"I asked a question. Where's my answer?" The words hissed through her teeth.

"Mai, I've missed yo-"

"That's not what I asked." Her blade drew closer. "_Why_ are you here?"

Why was he here? What did she expect him to say? They were in the middle of a war! A battle was waging right outside the palace walls- soon to be inside them! He was here to help end it all. He was here to help the Avatar. Here to erase past transgressions.

He was here to help her.

Though he knew that if he voiced his thoughts, they wouldn't be accepted. She would call him a liar and though he was sure the knife at his neck wouldn't truly cause him harm, time would be wasted. And he didn't have much to spare. So instead he replied, "You already know. You've read my letter."

For a moment, the blade Mai held faltered and a question entered her darkened eyes, mask slipping for an instant. She quickly recovered, replacing her emotionless armor and once again pressing the edge if her weapon against Zuko's skin. "Answer my question."

Her words rattles against Zuko. Why did she keep asking that? She knew. She had to know. He had told her everything before he had left, leaving behind his words on a piece of parchment placed on her bed. He'd told her what his plans were, how he was going to join the Avatar to atone for his transgressions. Told her that he was going to help the monk fulfill his destiny and, in helping Avatar, fulfill his own. Told her that his only regret was leaving her behind, that he would miss her and think of her every single day. That he would come back for her and, though it would be a while, they could build a life together; a fresh start, free from the bonds of war and plagues. Told her that though leaving was hard, it was for the best and everything would be better when he returned. She knew exactly why he was here. He was keeping his promises.

And yet she held a knife at his neck.

"Mai, I don't understand-"

"_You_ don't understand?" she spat, "_I_ don't understand. Why are you here?"

"My letter-"

"What letter!" Her voice rose, no longer flat and listless. Confusion and anger flared in her eyes as the fist holding his garments released him. "You keep speaking of a letter- _what letter_?"

Suddenly things made a bit more sense to the baffled prince.

"The one I left for you."

Mai stared up at him, weapon still in her grasp. She said nothing for a long moment, reining in the emotions that threatened to run away with her; then,"Liar." The word was spoken evenly and coated in venom. She stepped away from him, eyes never straying from his. "You didn't leave me a thing."

"Yes, I did." He stepped towards her, reaching out an arm. "Did you think I would just leave without saying anything?"

She ignored his hand and stepped forward, leveling the tip of her blade inches from his face. "I _know_ you did."

Zuko wanted to argue with her, defend the fact that he did indeed leave her a message in his wake. He also wanted to knock that dagger from her hand and draw her to him, show her how much he had missed her these past months. Perhaps she hadn't received his note, but that didn't change the words that he had written.

Yet time was ticking away, so he simply tried to sum it all up in four words. "Mai, I lov-"

"Don't you dare tell me more lies!" Her blade left his face and once again found his neck, body pressing close as she hissed out the words.

He loved her? Oh, yes, he had shown her exactly how much he loved her. He had left her, deserted her without a word. He claimed that he had left a letter. She had never seen one. And even if he had left her a message and it had magically disappeared, that was no excuse. He could have come for her, let her know he was okay. She had worried about him each and every night; wondered where he was, what he was doing, if he was safe. She hadn't seen him for countless weeks, and been told nothing but that he was a traitor to the nation. A traitor. Which had caused her concern for him to double. Traitors were injured. Killed. Her hurt had been tampered down, over-shadowed by her fears for _him_. And he claimed to love her?

"You never loved me. You _left_ me." The pain she had been holding onto seeped out of her, turning to white hot anger. "You never cared about me. You ran- abandoned your nation and become a part of the force trying to destroy it. You're a traitor and a coward."

Zuko was suddenly very thankful for the pillar pressing into his back. The knife at his neck might as well have cut into his skin. He was traitor and a coward? He was saving his nation; he was facing his sins head on! He was wasn't running. He was standing face-to-face with his enemy. He was helping his people. He was doing what needed to be done. He was trying to be as patient as possible with Mai- he understood she was hurt and taken aback- but she knew _nothing_ of what was really going on, and Zuko felt his ire rise.

"You don't get it, Mai. I know you're mad at me, and I understand that. But you have no idea what this war is about. What it's _truly_ about. And I _do_ love you. Why else would I be standing here when there's a battle waging right outside our walls?" He ignored the blade at his neck and latched onto Mai's gaze, watching as she digested his words. "This war isn't what we've been led to believe all of our lives. We're attacking innocent people, Mai. My great-grandfather started it all, and my grandfather and father have followed blindly after his desire for power.We aren't helping people. We're _murdering_ them. And I can't accept that. I _won't_.

"You have to have seen it, too. How the people of the other kingdoms fear us. They loath us, Mai. I left so I could end it all. But I had every intention of coming back- not just to rescue my people but for _you_. I know I hurt you, and I'm sorry. But I left you a note, hoping you would know that every word I wrote was true. I've missed you. And I do love you, Mai. You know I do." His eyes never strayed from hers, and though he knew that he should be securing the area, he couldn't tear himself away from the girl before him.

Mai said nothing, eyes never leaving his face as she digested his words, weighing their truth. He spoke of matters she had never before heard him talk of. Of the war, of the Fire Nation citizens. He spoke of dictation, of corruption. Things that she had never lingered on, merely accepted. What place of hers was it to question such matters? And though his talk of government and rule did weigh on her being, one thing refused to loosen it's hold on her.

He said that he loved her.

She wanted to ignore those empty words; he had proven his love for her the moment he'd stepped outside the nation's walls without a second look. His entire declaration was nothing but hollow lies. She wanted to brush away his comments- refuse to let them penetrate her protective shell.

But she couldn't.

As she stared up at him, she felt the hand holding her weapon begin to tremble. She hated the effect he had on her, had controlled ever since she met him. Amber eyes matching his, her vision clouded, the pain he had inflicted on her pushing to be released; the truth his words held knocking at her wall and demanding to be allowed inside.

"N-no. Everything...Everything you say... A-all of it- It's all nothing but..." Her words refused to roll of her tongue, protests lodging in her throat. The one thing she wanted to scream at him clung to her mouth. She wanted to rebuke him, call him out for the liar that he was!

The dagger she held pressed deeper into the skin of his neck; seconds later her hand hung limply at her side, weapon falling to the ground with a small clatter and her entire body fell against his.

Instinctively, Zuko's arms went around her, pulling her close as his head rested against hers. Her arms remained at her sides, body quivering with repressed emotion. So many weeks had gone by without the others touch, something each had grown accustomed to over their days spent together. Both had hurt in silence, ached alone. One had been hopeful, the other scorned.

Now the price held the one he had so unintentionally injured, still hopeful that she would accept his words for the honest truth that they were.

Hand shaking at her side, Mai glanced at the young man before her, muttering out, "Zuko..." Again, her speech stuck in her throat, only able to eke out his name. Though this time it was for an entirely different reason. Zuko's hands were on her face, and his mouth was on hers, muffling out anything she might have said. Her heart jolted in her chest, fingers curling into balls as a wave of pain crashed over her, the loss she had felt clutching at her heart and suffocating her.

His kiss continued, and Mai felt tears prick at her eyes though she refused to allow them fall. It wasn't just hurt she felt. His warm embrace threatened to engulf every ounce of pain she felt- pain that he had caused- and replace it with the contentment and peace that only he could bring her. He was the only person that could make her feel such an anger and resentment and yet break down her wall and capture her heart. The warmth his touch caused could over-shadow every other emotion she had- and she couldn't help but surrender.

She returned the gesture, though her arms remained at her side. Zuko's hand continued to hold her face, fingers trailing along her cheek bones, and Mai felt her eyes flutter shut. She couldn't fight him any longer, despite the hurt his absence had caused. She knew that, deep inside the heart that only he could access, his words were sincere. She couldn't ignore him.

Because she loved him, too.

A bright ball split through the sky, crashing to the ground and interrupting the moment; pulling the two away from each other and out of their embrace. Zuko's gaze left Mai and turned toward to glowing night sky, jolted from the kiss and grimly reminded of where he was, the duty that was his. His destiny was stretched out before him, his goal right at his fingertips. He knew what he must do; knew know, more than ever, that Mai was a part of his future.

But did _she_ know?

Amber eyes turning from the sky, he sought her face, gaze losing some intensity as they settled on her eyes. Silently, he stared- searching, imploring. Mai stood her ground, returning Zuko's questioning gaze, seeking out her own answers. They stood, locked in each others gaze, saying nothing. Time was of the essence, but still they stared, both needing answers and neither able to say a word.

Slowly, eyes still glued to the prince, Mai reach out a hesitant hand, her eyes speaking the things she was currently simply unable to say. The faintest trace of smile touched Zuko's lips as he intertwined their fingers. There was so much that he wanted to say- so much that needed to be said. But there was something much more pressing that needed to be taken care of, and it tugged at Zuko, halting the words before he could begin to formulate them.

And yet, Mai understood. In offering her hand, she had spoken more than any words could. Knowing this, Zuko tightened his hold on her hand. Later. They could discuss everything later. But, for now, they had somewhere they needed to be.

Together.

Wordlessly, they ran.

_**xxxx**_

**A/n: **Wow. That turned into...something. XD I've never written either Zuko's or Mai's character before this; though I've been a fan of both. I didn't just wanna angst it up- they have other emotions. Zuko has never been a static character and Mai isn't just an emotionless blob, she just represses it. I don't care how 'stoic' she is- I'd be _really_ upset if my man ran off without a word. And extremely irked. XD And I'm pretty sure our favorite evil princess stole Zuzu's letter; it'd be too easy if Mai received it flat out. Where's the fun it that?

Yeah... I think Valentine's Day has just put me in a sappy mood. I needed some Maiko love.

Feedback makes L2G a happy gal. Yep. Feel free to express your feelings. Even if ya think I botched it, let me know. But, regardless, thanks for the read.

- _Luv2Game_


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